(NEW YORK) — When Nissan launched the all-new, seventh-generation Z sports car, company executives had a specific requirement: a manual transmission.
“In the more than 50 years of Nissan Z, we’ve never offered a Z without a manual transmission,” Brian Hoekstra, chief marketing manager of Z, told ABC News. “We recognize that for many Z and sports car enthusiasts, there is simply no alternative to a manual transmission.”
The coupe, which went on sale last summer, comes with a 3.0-liter V6 twin turbo engine that delivers 400 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 350 lb-ft of torque. Drivers have a choice of a six-speed manual transmission or a nine-speed automatic. Hoekstra said sales are equally split between the manual and automatic, with younger owners preferring the “nostalgic experience” of three pedals.
“The manual transmission offers that classic sports car experience — it’s the ultimate driver-car connection, where you really feel like a part of the vehicle and can control it in ways you wouldn’t be able to with an automatic,” he said. “As long as there are still new internal combustion engine vehicles on the market, there will be an interest in manual transmissions.”
The car community has been decrying the death of the manual transmission for nearly two decades, said Henry Catchpole, a longtime automotive journalist who now hosts videos for Hagerty. As more automakers allocate resources to building electric vehicles, drivers are choosing engagement over pure performance, he argued.
“People are reassessing what they want and are going back to analog cars. It’s a big story in the industry,” he told ABC News. “There’s a shift in terms of how we look at performance cars. We don’t wax lyrical about paddle shifters as we do about manual gearboxes. Drivers are enjoying the manual again.”
Electric vehicles like the Porsche Taycan, Audi RS e-tron GT and Tesla Model S Plaid post performance numbers that few traditional supercars and sports cars can match. Straight-line acceleration and 0-60 mph times, however, may not matter to every motorist, said Bob Sorokanich, editor-in-chief of Jalopnik.
“Tesla has the quickest car on the market — just floor the accelerator and hang on,” he told ABC News. “It doesn’t take any driver skill.”
Automakers like Nissan, Toyota, Porsche and Honda are continuing to extol the manual transmission, he said, a “last hurrah” before the industry completely goes electric.
“It’s inevitable EVs are going to take over and people are getting misty-eyed that the manual won’t be around forever,” he said. “That’s why people are flocking to these specialty cars. Young people are interested in the opportunity to experience them as internal combustion engines come to a close.”
When Toyota released the Supra sports car in 2020, enthusiasts had one objection: there was no manual gearbox. The automaker listened and decided to offer the 2023 GR Supra with a newly developed six-speed manual transmission that was engineered and tuned specifically for the coupe’s straight-six engine. At least 25% of GR Supra sales are expected to be the manual, a company spokesperson said.
Then, to much acclaim, Toyota revealed the GR Corolla, a lightweight, vivacious hot hatch that meets every enthusiast’s requirements. It’s also built exclusively with a manual. Sorokanich expects Toyota to sell every one.
“The GR Corolla is meant for engagement,” he said.
Lindsay Lee, a senior manager in vehicle marketing and communications for Toyota, said demand has been unprecedented for the GR Corolla.
“There is excitement in the market for a vehicle of this size with this amount of performance,” she told ABC News.
Porsche takes driver engagement so seriously that it offers 25 models with a manual transmission at no cost. Certain 911 models, like the Carrera T and GT3 with Touring Package, come standard with a manual gearbox.
“We see the highest degree of interest in manual transmissions on particularly enthusiast-focused variants such as the 718 Cayman/Boxster T, 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder or 911 GT3, where the manual take rate in the U.S. can reach 50% or more,” a Porsche spokesperson told ABC News. “We aim to offer the manual transmission as a choice as long as regulations permit.”
Stephanie Brinley, an associate director at S&P Global Mobility, said recent market conditions have dictated what automakers build, leading to less investment in manual transmission technology.
“Automakers are faced with difficult choices and manuals are things that have been sacrificed in the last two years,” she told ABC News.
Pleasing a dedicated group of owners who are willing to pay above MSRP for a niche product can, however, outweigh the costs, she noted.
“It’s a niche space but sometimes customer loyalty is a reason to keep it going,” she said. “EVs are here and growing. They do have a different feel and level of engagement. For people who want that manual transmission connection, now is the time to grab one before they go away.”
BMW’s head of M products confirmed that the German automaker would keep manuals around until the end of the decade. The S58 engine in the company’s new M2 coupe can be paired with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a dynamic eight-speed M Steptronic transmission.
At the unveiling of the seventh-generation Ford Mustang in September, company executives touted the Blue Oval’s commitment to the clutch pedal.
“Ford has saved the manual transmission for a new generation and the 5.0-liter V8 continues to offer a standard six-speed manual transmission for customers who want an uncompromised connection to eight-cylinder power,” according to a company press release.
The Dearborn automaker has also seen sizable interest among manual buyers in its Ford Bronco 4X4, with the take rate topping 20%, according to Brinley.
Honda’s latest Type R hatch is visually different from its predecessor, with an aggressive front bumper design, lower stance and a redesigned rear spoiler. What hasn’t changed? A manual transmission. Honda’s Civic Si, like the Type R, has been manual-only since its inception and the company sees “consistent interest from enthusiasts who want the engaging driving experience that can only be had by shifting your own gears,” according to a spokesperson. When Honda’s Acura brand premiered the fifth-generation Integra in March, enthusiasts lauded the return of the manual.
“At launch, nearly 70% of the Integra preorders were for the manual transmission,” the spokesperson said. “Since then, the mix rate has leveled out, but we’re still seeing high demand for the manual transmission, more than enough to justify its development.”
Catchpole said the unrelenting pressure on automakers to keep the manual alive has benefited an industry that’s rapidly closing the door on gas-powered vehicles.
“Some people see manuals as a chore but they’re not. They bring more color to life,” he said. “Porsche listened to enthusiasts and brought back the manual in the GT3. I hope other manufacturers will listen too.”
(NEW YORK) — With Election Day around the corner, some national Jewish advocacy organizations are calling on the Republican Party to take a harder line on condemning antisemitism from several GOP candidates or their supporters.
Their calls come on the heels of several high-profile controversies over remarks made by celebrities and political candidates vying to win their midterm races.
Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, for example, has made headlines with his statements about his Jewish opponent, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
He accused Shapiro in September of having “disdain for people like us,” because Shapiro attended and sent his children to a “privileged, exclusive, elite” Jewish institution. His comments have been widely condemned as evoking common antisemitic tropes.
At a campaign event last month, Mastriano doubled down on his statements.
“Apparently now it’s some kind of racist thing if I talk about the school,” he said reiterating that “it’s a very expensive, elite school.”
Mastriano’s campaign did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Ohio GOP Senate candidate J.D. Vance has also been accused of echoing antisemitic tropes after suggesting in January that if Ohio prohibited abortion, “then every day, George Soros sends a 747 to Columbus to load up disproportionately Black women to get them to go have abortions in California.”
“Hopefully we get to a point where Ohio bans abortion and California and the Soroses of the world respect it,” he continued.
The Anti-Defamation League has reported that references to Soros — a Hungarian Jewish billionaire, philanthropist and Holocaust survivor known for funding progressive causes — have become a right-wing dog whistle for conspiracy theories about wealthy Jewish people controlling and manipulating societies to further their own interests.
Vance’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
GOP party leaders have strongly condemned antisemitism in several cases.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke out against Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., who attended the America First Political Action Conference in March, run by Nick Fuentes, a prominent white nationalist, saying, “There’s no place in the Republican Party for white supremacists or antisemitism.”
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel has also previously spoken out against antisemitism, stating that “white supremacy, neo-Nazism, hate speech and bigotry are disgusting and do not have a home in the Republican Party.”
Politicians need to respond like businesses to antisemitism, some say
But some Jewish organization leaders say statements are not enough.
Jack Rosen, president of the American Jewish Congress, said candidates must also face material repercussions for their comments, arguing the party should go as far as cutting off their support and funding.
“They need to make sure that these [candidates] are not accepted and not given good assignments, are not supported financially,” Rosen told ABC News.
As a model, he cited the example of Adidas severing ties with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, after he made a slew of incendiary comments attacking Jewish people in recent weeks, including a tweet threatening he would go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.”
“We’ve learned that when a powerful force like the business community comes out and stops doing business with you and boycotts your lines, that does have an impact,” Rosen said.
Jacob Isaacson, the American Jewish Committee’s chief policy and political affairs officer, said the party and its candidates also have a responsibility to repudiate supporters and associates who have expressed antisemitic sentiments.
Mastriano came under fire after paying $5,000 for campaign consulting to the far-right site Gab — where a man allegedly made antisemitic posts before killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.
Gab chief executive Andrew Torba said both he and Mastriano have a policy of speaking only to Christian journalists, the Jerusalem Post reported.
After significant public pressure, Mastriano put out a statement saying Torba does not “speak for me or my campaign” and that “I reject antisemitism in any form.” But in July, Mastriano still accepted a $500 donation from Torba, according to a September campaign finance report.
In Georgia, Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker has also faced criticism for not publicly refusing a show of support from Ye on Instagram.
“What I would like to see is the rejection of endorsement from blatant antisemites and that needs to be kind of a universal principle,” Isaacson told ABC News.
Walker’s campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.
Economic uncertainty, culture wars give rise to antisemitic conspiracies
With the issue of inflation driving many voters this midterm election, several Jewish organization leaders said Americans’ economic anxieties have also provided a platform for antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said the scapegoating of Jewish people has historically peaked during periods of economic stress, such as the country’s current “recessionary environment.”
“When systems fail, when markets fail, when policy fails, people look for someone to blame,” he told ABC News.
For example, the ADL reported a spike in antisemitic internet activity during the Great Recession in 2008, including articles and posts blaming Jewish people for the financial crisis.
Some candidates have also used antisemitic tropes to appeal to voters’ concerns about ongoing culture wars over abortion, critical race theory and LGBTQ rights, for example.
Arizona GOP House candidate Eli Crane has said repeatedly that he would fight critical race theory, alleging its roots in “Cultural Marxism,” which has been described as a baseless conspiracy theory with antisemitic origins.
Crane’s campaign did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Antisemitism reaches all-time high in U.S.
Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, said the alleged normalization and amplification of antisemitic rhetoric within the Republican Party has emboldened its supporters, including white supremacist and right-wing extremist groups, to perpetrate violence against Jewish people.
The ADL reported that antisemitic incidents in the U.S. reached an all-time high in the U.S. in 2021.
Soifer said the upsurge of white nationalism during the Trump administration remains a problem in the midterms.
“We saw this during Donald Trump’s candidacy in 2016, throughout his presidency, and in 2020, when he echoed antisemitic conspiracy theory and other hateful views shared by white supremacists and refused to condemn white supremacy,” Soifer told ABC News. “Now it has proliferated, and it is viewed as accepted among candidates, and some of them may even get elected in a week.”
As recently as last month, Trump shared a post on his Truth social media platform telling American Jews to “get their act together” by expressing more support for Israel.
Some Democratic candidates and lawmakers have also faced allegations of antisemitism, primarily for their comments criticizing Israel and promoting the boycott, divest, sanctions movement.
Responding to a request for comment, an RNC spokesperson referred ABC News to several of these statements — for example, Rep. Ilhan Omar’s 2012 tweet saying Israel “has hypnotized the world,” which was widely denounced as antisemitic.
Omar has since expressed regret for the comment but maintains it was directed at the country’s government and military action, not “people of a particular faith.”
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., have also been consistently criticized, often by Republicans, for their support of the BDS movement.
(NEW YORK) — More than six months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose forces began an offensive in August, has vowed to take back all Russian-occupied territory. But Putin in September announced a mobilization of reservists, which is expected to call up as many as 300,000 additional troops.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Nov 06, 1:57 PM EST
Biden, German chancellor call Russian nuclear threats ‘irresponsible’
President Joe Biden spoke to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday and both agreed Russia’s nuclear threats stemming the war in Ukraine are “irresponsible,” according to the White House.
Both leaders said they would continue to “provide Ukraine with the economic, humanitarian, and security support it needs to defend against Russia,” the White House said in a statement.
Biden and Scholz also spoke of the chancellor’s recent trip to the People’s Republic of China and, according to White House officials “affirmed their shared commitment to upholding the rules-based international order, human rights, and fair trade practices.”
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Nov 03, 12:02 PM EDT
Western officials believe Russia is planning ‘orderly, well-planned and deliberate’ military withdrawal from Kherson
Western officials are “confident” Russia’s military is “setting the conditions” for withdrawal from the Ukrainian city of Kherson, the only regional capital that has been occupied by Russian forces since the February.
The Russian military is preparing to make a “strategic” withdrawal and move its forces east across the Dnipro river, officials said.
“It looks like an orderly, well-planned and deliberate military process is taking place,” a Western official told ABC News.
The officials would not put a timeframe on when the withdrawal would happen and added that it is not guaranteed to take place. They downplayed, however, any speculation that the Russians are using the withdrawal to mask a more “nefarious” action in that area.
The officials said their assessment was that the Russians believe Kherson “is not worth fighting for.”
The advance of Ukrainian forces in Kherson has slowed over the past three weeks.
In mid-October, the newly appointed commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, General Surovikin, said “difficult decisions” may be necessary in Kherson.
Senior Ukrainian officials have suggested more recently that Russian forces are preparing to fight for Kherson and a source on the ground told ABC News that the Russian military is still moving in and out of the city.
-ABC News’ Tom Burridge
Nov 02, 12:14 PM EDT
North Korea covertly shipping ammunition to Russia for war in Ukraine, US says
North Korea was secreting sending ammunition to Russia to use in its invasion of Ukraine and is disguising the shipments as appearing to be destined to the Middle East or North Africa, the White House said Wednesday.
“Our information indicates that [North Korea] is covertly supplying Russia’s war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells, while obfuscating the real destination of the arms shipments by trying to make it appear as though they’re being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa,” White House spokesman John Kirby said.
Kirby said North Korea was sending “a significant number of artillery shells.” He did not specify an exact number but said it was more than “dozens.”
“But we don’t believe that they are in such a quantity that they would tangibly change the direction of this war or tangibly change the momentum either in the east or in the south” of Ukraine, he said.
Kirby added, “We’re gonna continue to monitor whether these shipments are received.”
In September, the U.S. had said Russia is looking to purchase millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea, saying at the time that this indicated the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Nov 02, 12:01 PM EDT
Russia waives veiled threat on use of nuclear weapons
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a warning to nations with nuclear capabilities, calling on them to abandon attempts to infringe on each other’s vital interests, warning that direct armed conflict and provocations with weapons of mass destruction can lead to catastrophic consequences.
Russia claimed it believes there can be no winners of nuclear war and said it refarrims its commitment to the prevention of nuclear warm.
“A reaction with the use of nuclear weapons is hypothetically allowed by Russia only in response to aggression using weapons of mass destruction or aggression using conventional weapons, when the existence of the state is threatened,” the ministry said in a statement.
The White House has said it will not confirm or deny New York Times reporting that senior Russian military officials had recently discussed when and how Russia might use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine. The intelligence about the conversations was reportedly circulated inside the U.S. government in mid-October.
But, Russian President Vladimir Putin was not a part of these alleged conversations, according to the New York Times.
The White House on Wednesday said it still sees “no indications that Russia is making preparations” to use nuclear weapons.
-ABC News’ Natalia Shumskaia and Ben Gittleson
Nov 02, 12:14 PM EDT
North Korea covertly shipping ammunition to Russia for war in Ukraine, US says
North Korea was secretly sending ammunition to Russia to use in its invasion of Ukraine and is disguising the shipments as appearing to be destined to the Middle East or North Africa, the White House said Wednesday.
“Our information indicates that [North Korea] is covertly supplying Russia’s war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells, while obfuscating the real destination of the arms shipments by trying to make it appear as though they’re being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa,” White House spokesman John Kirby said.
Kirby said North Korea was sending “a significant number of artillery shells.” He did not specify an exact number but said it was more than “dozens.”
“But we don’t believe that they are in such a quantity that they would tangibly change the direction of this war or tangibly change the momentum either in the east or in the south” of Ukraine, he said.
Kirby added, “We’re gonna continue to monitor whether these shipments are received.”
In September, the U.S. had said Russia is looking to purchase millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea, saying at the time that this indicated the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine.
Nov 02, 12:01 PM EDT
Russia waives veiled threat on use of nuclear weapons
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a warning to nations with nuclear capabilities, calling on them to abandon attempts to infringe on each other’s vital interests, warning that direct armed conflict and provocations with weapons of mass destruction can lead to catastrophic consequences.
Russia claimed it believes there can be no winners of nuclear war and said it reaffirms its commitment to the prevention of nuclear warm.
“A reaction with the use of nuclear weapons is hypothetically allowed by Russia only in response to aggression using weapons of mass destruction or aggression using conventional weapons, when the existence of the state is threatened,” the ministry said in a statement.
The White House has said it will not confirm or deny New York Times reporting that senior Russian military officials had recently discussed when and how Russia might use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine. The intelligence about the conversations was reportedly circulated inside the U.S. government in mid-October.
But, Russian President Vladimir Putin was not a part of these alleged conversations, according to the New York Times.
The White House on Wednesday said it still sees “no indications that Russia is making preparations” to use nuclear weapons.
Nov 02, 8:40 AM EDT
Russia rejoins wartime deal on Ukrainian grain exports
Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Wednesday that Russia has agreed to resume its participation in a deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations to keep grain and other commodities shipping out of Ukraine’s ports amid the ongoing war.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, that the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative would “continue in the same way as before” as of noon Wednesday, according to Erdogan.
The renewed agreement, first reached over the summer, will prioritize shipments to African countries, including drought-ravaged Somalia, after Russia expressed concerns that most of the grain was ending up in richer nations.
Moscow agreed to return to the deal after receiving written guarantees from Kyiv that Ukraine would not use the safe shipping corridors through the Black Sea for military actions against Russian forces, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Russia had suspended its role in the deal over the weekend, after accusing Ukrainian forces of carrying out a “massive” drone attack on its Black Sea fleet on Saturday.
Turkey and the U.N. brokered separate deals with Russia and Ukraine in July to allow Ukraine to resume its shipment of grain from the Black Sea to world markets and for Russia to export grain and fertilizers.
Since Russian forces invaded neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, the cost of grain, fertilizer and fuel has skyrocketed worldwide. Russia and Ukraine — often referred to collectively as Europe’s breadbasket — produce a third of the global supply of wheat and barley, but a Russian blockade in the Black Sea combined with Ukrainian naval mines have made exporting siloed grain and other foodstuffs virtually impossible. As a result, millions of people around the world — particularly in Africa and the Middle East — are now on the brink of famine.
Nov 01, 3:01 PM EDT
Ukraine does not have effective defenses against Iranian ballistic missiles, air force official claims
Iranian ballistic missiles, which Russia plans to purchase from Iran, will probably be placed on the northern border of Ukraine, the spokesman of the Ukrainian Airborne Forces Yuri Ignat said Tuesday.
Ignat claimed the ballistic missiles’ range was 300 km for one and 700 km for another.
“We have no effective defense against these missiles. It is theoretically possible to shoot them down, but in fact it is very difficult to do it with the means we have at our disposal. We have air defense, not missile defense,” he said.
-ABC News’ Yulia Drozd
Nov 01, 3:01 PM EDT
Russia announces wider evacuation of occupied southern Ukraine
As Ukrainian forces advance to capture the city of Kherson, Russian forces are ordering civilians out of parts of the now-occupied city. Some 70,000 people along a 15 kilometer (10 mile) stretch of the left bank of the Dnipro River will be evacuated deeper into the Kherson region or to Russia, according to the Russian-installed leader of the occupied Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo.
Russia had previously ordered civilians out of an area it controls on the west bank of the river.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Oct 31, 7:07 PM EDT
Russia’s withdrawal from grain deal ‘collective punishment’ for world: State Department
State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Monday lambasted Russia’s recent decision to withdraw from the U.N.-brokered deal that allowed for grain to be exported through the Black Sea — likely to be a chief focus of this week’s G-7 ministerial meeting and potentially the G-20 Leaders’ Summit next month.
“We deeply regret Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is having immediate, harmful impacts on global food security,” Price said during a press briefing. “Russia should return to full participation in the initiative, and we urge all parties to swiftly agree to sustain this crucial program through the months to come.”
“Any disruption to the initiative risks spiking food prices, lowering the confidence of insurers and commercial shippers who have returned to Black Sea routes, and further imposing hardships on low-income countries already reeling from dire humanitarian crises and global food insecurity,” he added.
Price said Russia’s reneging had already caused future contracts for foodstuff to rise, even though some ships appear to have been allowed to pass through the water routes with their cargo following Moscow’s announcement.
“We’ve seen Russia engage in what appears to be collective punishment for the people of Ukraine,” he said. “But Moscow’s suspension of the initiative would be tantamount to collective punishment for the rest of the world — but especially lower- and middle-income countries that so desperately needed this grain.”
ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Oct 31, 3:32 PM EDT
Ukraine energy company warns about attacks on energy infrastructure
Following a series of coordinated strikes across Ukraine this Monday morning, Ukraine’s largest private energy company DTEK says it’s running out of equipment and spare parts needed for repairs of the damaged infrastructure facilities.
“Unfortunately, we have already used up the stock of equipment that we had in our warehouses after the first two waves of attacks that have been taking place since Oct. 10,” said DTEK Executive Director Dmytro Sakharuk. “We were able to purchase some equipment. But unfortunately, the cost of the equipment is now measured in hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Most parts have been already used for repairs following previous Russian strikes, he added.
Oct 31, 4:54 AM EDT
Russia launches waves of missiles at energy targets
Russia on Monday morning again launched a series of coordinated strikes across Ukraine, targeting energy infrastructure, including in the Kyiv region.
Ukraine’s military said it shot down 44 cruise missiles as the Russians launched “several waves of missile attacks on critical infrastructure facilities” across the country.
About five distant booms could be heard in central Kyiv at about 8 a.m. local time.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, confirmed that a power plant has been hit, meaning mid-morning around 350,000 homes in the capital were left without power. Kyiv’s water supply has also been compromised, according to a water company.
A local official said “critical infrastructure” had also been hit in the Chernivtsi region in southwestern Ukraine.
Critical infrastructure has also been hit and damaged in Zaporizhzhia in the south, according to another local official.
Other regions of Ukraine appear to have been targeted, including Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Poltava and Lviv.
There are currently no reports of significant casualties.
ABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge
Oct 30, 10:02 AM EDT
Blinken accuses Russia of ‘weaponizing food’
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken slammed Russia’s decision to pull out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative as a statement from the Kremlin that “people and families around the world should pay more for food or go hungry.”
Russia announced it is withdrawing from the U.N.-brokered grain deal in response to a drone attack Saturday in the waters of the Sevastopol Bay, in the Black Sea near Crimea.
Russia’s decision, Blinken said, is jeopardizing grain shipments he described as “life-saving.”
“In suspending this arrangement, Russia is again weaponizing food in the war it started, directly impacting low- and middle-income countries and global food prices, and exacerbating already dire humanitarian crises and food insecurity,” Blinken said in a statement released Saturday night.
He said 9 million metric tons of food has been shipped under the agreement, which was signed and launched in July. He said the shipments have reduced food prices around the world.
“We urge the Government of Russia to resume its participation in the Initiative, fully comply with the arrangement, and work to ensure that people around the world continue to be able to receive the benefits facilitated by the Initiative,” Blinken said.
Blinken’s statement echoed what President Joe Biden said earlier Saturday, calling Russia’s withdrawal from the initiative, “purely outrageous.”
“It’s going to increase starvation. There’s no reason for them to do that, but they’re always looking for some rationale to be able to say the reason they’re doing something outrageous is because the West made them do it. And it’s just not,” Biden said. “There’s no merit to what they’re doing. The UN negotiated that deal and that should be the end of it.”
Backstreet Boys‘ Nick Carter has released a statement following the passing of his younger brother, Aaron Carter.
“My heart has been broken today,” Nick wrote in an Instagram post shared Sunday. “Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded.”
He continued, “I have always held onto the hope, that [Aaron] would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed. Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss. But the truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here.”
Nick concluded by saying he will miss Aaron “more than anyone will ever know.”
“I love you Chizz., now you get a chance to finally have some peace you could never find here on earth….God, Please take care of my baby brother,” he wrote, alongside a series of photos of the two from when they were younger.
Aaron, a singer and former child star, passed away Saturday at age 34. A cause of death has not yet been released.
Others in the entertainment industry also shared their reactions to his death, including Hilary Duff, who dated Aaron as a teen, New Kids on the Block, songwriter Diane Warren and more.
Taylor plays with Duran Duran in 2004; Brian Rasic/Getty Images
Original Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor, who left the band in 2006 but was set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with his former band mates Saturday night in Los Angeles, was unable to make the ceremony — because, as he revealed, he has incurable prostate cancer.
Taylor revealed in an open letter released Saturday night that four years ago, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer. “Although my current condition is not immediately life threatening, there is no cure,” he wrote. “Recently I was doing okay after some very sophisticated life-extending treatment…until a week or so ago, when I suffered a setback, and despite the exceptional efforts of my team, I had to be honest in that both physically and mentally, I would be pushing my boundaries.”
He continued,, “However, none of this needs to or should detract from what this band (with or without me) has achieved and sustained for 44 years…I’m so very proud of [my four band mates]; I’m amazed at their durability, and I’m overjoyed at accepting this award. I often doubted the day would come. I’m sure as hell glad I’m around to see the day.”
He finished by writing that he was “truly sorry and massively disappointed” that he wasn’t able to make the ceremony, which would have marked the first time in 17 years that he’d played with Simon LeBon, John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes.
Backstage, after the band was inducted into the Hall by Robert Downey Jr., Simon LeBon told reporters that news of Taylor’s condition was “devastating,” adding that he didn’t want to cry, but felt like doing so. He asked the press not to ask any more questions about Taylor, because it was too tough for him to talk about.
Duran Duran performed three songs at the ceremony: “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Girls on Film” and “Ordinary World.”
Aaron Carter, younger brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, has died, ABC News has confirmed. He was 34. His management told ABC News, “I can confirm the reports are true…a statement will be released shortly by the family and management. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time.”
TMZ reported that Carter died Saturday in his home in Lancaster, CA.
Carter, once known as “The Little Prince of Pop,” was born in Tampa, Florida. He made his solo stage debut in 1997 at age nine, opening for the Backstreet Boys in Berlin. He soon secured a record deal and released his self-titled debut in Europe that same year, and in the U.S. in 1998. Singles from that album were top 10 hits in the U.K., Austria and Germany.
Carter’s follow-up, Aaron’s Party (Come and Get It), was his biggest hit: It was RIAA-certified triple Platinum, and included his only two U.S. charting singles: “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” and “That’s How I Beat Shaq.” He later opened for Britney Spears on her Oops!…I Did It Again tour.
Carter branched out into acting, making his Broadway debut in 2001 in Seussical The Musical and appearing on TV shows like Lizzie McGuire, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and 7th Heaven, and in movies like Fat Albert and Ella Enchanted.
In 2006, Aaron, Nick, Aaron’s twin Angel and their siblings B.J. and Leslie, starred on the E! reality show House of Carters. Leslie died in 2012 of a drug overdose; she was 25. Aaron’s relationship with his siblings has been volatile: In the past, Nick and Angel have both sought restraining orders against Aaron; Aaron also accused Leslie, and later Nick, of abuse, which Nick denied.
In 2009, Aaron came in fifth on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and has appeared in various other reality shows, such as Marriage Bootcamp: Family Edition and Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook Off. Over the years, he’s had various legal and financial troubles, and in 2017, he entered rehab.
By 2020, Aaron had set up an OnlyFans account. In 2021, he was cast in a Las Vegas musical production, from which he was fired because, allegedly, he refused to be vaccinated. In 2021, he and Lamar Odom held an exhibition boxing match, during which Odom knocked Carter out in the second round.
(NEW YORK) — The “fall back” from daylight saving is linked to an uptick in car accidents and poor mood, but doctors say careful attention to sleep hygiene and a gradual adjustment of your bedtime may help.
As clocks across America “fall back” an hour at 2 a.m. on Nov. 6, internal clocks may lag behind.
“Changes, even small ones, in your sleep can impact almost every area of your body from your skin to your cardiovascular system,” said Dr. Marri Horvat of the Cleveland Sleep Disorders Clinic.
Daylight saving time is less aligned with our natural circadian rhythm. The sun rises later and light lasts longer in the evening, but our bodies are more attuned to light in the mornings and darkness in the evenings. Each switch changes sleep patterns abruptly.
The good news, doctors say, is that the upcoming change from daylight saving to standard time is less harmful for your health than the spring switch, largely because you gain an hour of sleep. The bad news is that either switch can have negative impacts on your health.
Researchers estimate that the switch to and from daylight saving time contributes to thousands of car accidents and 300 deaths each year. Meanwhile, researchers who have studied the fall switch specifically say it’s linked with an 11% increase in depressive episodes. Interestingly, doctors report that while the spring switch was linked with a 24% increase in heart attacks the day after, the fall switch has been linked with a 21% decrease in heart attacks. The benefit may lie in the extra hour of sleep gained with the fall switch.
What can you do to get better sleep?
Sleep specialists say it’s a good idea to establish a nighttime routine leading up to and following the switch. Horvat recommends “making the shift slowly over several days” by “going to bed and waking up 10 to 15 minutes later each day.” Ideally, this routine would include a “winding down” period of at least an hour before bedtime when you stop screen time, turn down the thermostat (between 60-75 degrees), and do a relaxing activity. The greatest relaxation technique before bedtime is listening to soothing music.
Another tip is to exercise outdoors. Moderate intensity aerobic exercise during the day, as long as it’s at least two to four hours before bedtime, increases sleep quality and duration. Also, exercising outdoors is recommended since natural sunlight during the day can help with the switch.
According to doctors, avoiding caffeine and alcohol in the evenings can also help and it’s best to avoid snacks close to bedtime.
Although napping can’t replace a good night’s sleep, it can help supplement it. Even a five-minute nap shows improved attention and short-term memory.
“Healthy sleep begins with attitude and awareness,” said Dr. Emerson Wickwire, director of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Set aside 7.5 or 8 hours for sleep and enjoy it!”
Alicia Zellmer, MD, and Joy Liu, MD, are resident physicians in Internal Medicine, and members of the ABC News Medical Unit.
(LA PLATA, Md.) — A Maryland homeowner returned from work to find five people dead in his house in what police said was a quadruple murder-suicide.
The Charles County Sheriff’s office said officers responded to a residential home in La Plata, Maryland, on Friday to find the homeowner at the front door and two women and three men dead, with trauma to their bodies.
Preliminary investigation revealed the suspect, 28-year-old Andre Sales, entered the house and killed his ex-girlfriend, 21-year-old Sara Mann; her brother, 18-year-old Kai Mann; their mother, 48-year-old Sommaly Mann; and another man who was inside, 23-year-old Javon Watson.
According to police, Sales, who resides at a different residence, then shot himself with a gun.
Two young children who were initially unaccounted for were later found safe and unharmed at a different location.
Police said investigators and forensic personnel are still processing evidence and interviewing family and friends to establish a motive.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore will perform autopsies to confirm the exact cause of death for each individual, police said.
Earlier, police had said the incident appears to be isolated to the residence.
(NEW YORK) — Dozens of people were injured in a fire at a residential building in New York City on Saturday morning, authorities said.
The three-alarm fire broke out on the 20th floor of a midtown Manhattan high-rise, with a “heavy fire condition,” according to the New York City Fire Department.
Thirty-eight people were hospitalized due to the fire, including two critically due to smoke inhalation, officials said. Five were in serious condition and the rest were minor injuries, according to FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh.
Five members of the FDNY are among the patients, officials said.
“There’s likely to be an increase in the number of patients as more and more families come down and are evaluated by EMS,” EMS Academy Chief Joseph Pataky told reporters.
The fire was reported around 10:30 a.m. and was under control within an hour, the FDNY said.
Bystander footage captured a dramatic rescue, as a firefighter rappelled with a woman down to a floor below and went safely inside the building while smoke billowed out of windows above.
“Fire EMS and dispatch did an extraordinary job rescuing a number of civilians,” Kavanagh said during a press briefing, referencing that rescue in particular. “I cannot emphasize enough the extraordinary work of our members this morning in unbelievably dangerous conditions.”
Two people were rescued from the apartment where the fire originated via life-saving rope, according to FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Frank Leeb.
The cause of the fire was determined to be a lithium-ion battery “connected to a micro-mobility device,” Kavanagh said.
“The lithium-ion battery adds a different degree when we talk about the fire dynamics of it,” Leeb said. “These rooms flash over in just a mere matter of seconds.”
There have been nearly 200 fires so far this year in NYC caused by lithium-ion batteries for a micro-mobility device, such as an electric bike or scooter, according to Chief Fire Marshal Dan Flynn.
Authorities believe an occupant was repairing electric bikes and the fire originated directly behind the front door, he said. FDNY has recovered at least five bikes from the apartment, he said.
Kavanagh emphasized the “rising cause of fires” from e-bikes and urged people to follow the “safest possible way to use these,” including not charging them overnight when they are asleep and making sure they are certified and the batteries are not damaged.
In August, a fire in a Harlem apartment sparked by a lithium-ion battery from an e-bike or scooter killed two people, including a 5-year-old girl.
(MCCURTAIN COUNTY, Okla.) — One person died in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, and several others were injured after tornadoes impacted the state Friday, an official confirmed to ABC News.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said he was “praying for Oklahomans impacted by today’s tornadoes,” in a tweet Friday night.
He added that search and rescue teams and generators were being sent to the area.
Praying for Oklahomans impacted by today’s tornadoes.
Storms hit in Bryan, Choctaw, and Le Flore counties, among others. Additional flash flooding in some areas.
Search & rescue teams and generators forwarded to the Idabel area.
In the Dallas/Fort Worth region, multiple tornado warnings had been in effect on Friday, with people advised to seek shelter immediately due to life-threatening conditions.
“Atmospheric conditions are favorable for severe storms,” the National Weather Service for Fort Worth, said.
At least 10 people were injured after a confirmed tornado swept through Lamar County, Texas, the sheriff’s office said. They were being treated at a local hospital. Two people were in critical condition as of Friday night.
At least 50 homes were damaged or destroyed in the county, according to the sheriff’s office. A disaster has been declared in the county.
“If you do not live in the storm affected areas of Lamar County, please stay away. If you don’t have to leave home, please stay home,” the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office advised residents on social media Friday night.
A tornado was also observed near Sulphur Springs in Hopkins County, Texas.
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office said four homes were damaged following reports of a tornado in the southwestern region of the county. No injuries have been reported at this time.
